A Virtual Universe (VU) is a computer-based simulated environment that a user may traverse, inhabit, and interact with other users within through the use of an avatars a graphical representation of the user often taking the form of a cartoon-like human though any graphic image may be utilized Many VU's are represented using three dimensional (3-D) graphics and landscapes and awe populated by many thousands of users or “residents,” often resembling the real world in terms of physics, houses, and landscapes. Other terms for VU's include metaverses, massively multiplayer online games, “3-D Internet” and Virtual World.
VU assets, avatars, the VU environment, and anything presented to a user as visual information comprise Universally Unique Identifiers (UUID's) tied to geometric data distributed to users as textual coordinates, textures distributed to users as graphics files (in some examples as a JPEG2000 file), and effects data Tendered by the user's client computer according to the user's preferences and user's computer system device capabilities. Many VU's are represented using three dimensional (3-D) graphics and landscapes and are populated by many thousands of users or “residents,” often resembling the real world or fantasy/fictional worlds in terms of physics, houses, landscapes and in interpersonal communications with other users Examples of large robust VU's and massively multiplayer online games include SECOND LIFE® (SL) (SECOND LIFE is a trademark of Linden Research, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries), Entropia Universe™ (ENTROPIA UNIVERSE is a registered trademark of MindArk PE AB in the United States, other countries, or both), The Sims Online™ (THE SIMS ONLINE is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Inc in the United States, other countries, or both), and There™ (THERE is a trademark of Makena Technologies, Inc in the United States, other countries, or both). Such examples render and display detailed, large and complex graphic environments within which users may travel and participate as if a character in an expressionistic or fantastical fictional world or within a somewhat realistic or representational approximation of real life (e.g. Second Life®).
In a VU, a user creates an agent which functions as the user's account, and upon which the user may build an avatar tied to an inventory of assets the user owns in the VU and associated with the agent. VU's are also commonly defined with respect to VU regions, virtual areas of land within the VU typically residing on a single server. VU assets, avatars, the VU environment, and anything presented to a user as visual information comprise Universally Unique Identifiers (UUID's) tied to geometric data distributed to users as textual coordinates), textures distributed to users as graphics files (for example as a JPEG2000 file), and effects data rendered by the user's client computer according to the user's preferences and user's computer system device capabilities.
Service providers and corporate entities such as governmental and non-governmental organizations, corporations and non-profit associations generally establish a presence and engage users in various activities by acquiring a fixed virtual physical location within the VU, generically sometimes referred to as a “store” and which may refer to any physical space acquired and monitored for user avatar occupation. Accordingly, commercial entities such as conventional retailers are increasing opening stoles in VU's in order to pursue retail sales and other commercial activities, and wherein customer user avatars entering the store are greeted and engaged by an avatar agent of the store owner, manager, salesperson or other customer service representative (CSR). In some respects, VU stores offer a shopping experience similar to a real-life store experience, with a customer avatar engaging in extended real-time conversations, either through chat or other interactive text applications or even through real-time spoken conversations. Thus, in one aspect, the VU shopping experience may offer advantages over other types of on-line shopping options, which generally offer much more limited CSR representative engagement, for example during a retail transaction process
However, in another aspect, the CSR avatar is only representative of a real-life CSR, and in some cases may not actually represent a human or the undivided attention of a human More particularly, any given CSR avatar may or may not be actively managed or even representative of a human operator; a CSR avatar may in fact represent an automated computer dialog entity or “bot” instead of a human CSR. Bots are software applications that run automated tasks, often performing structurally repetitive tasks at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone; for example, a bot may comprise an automated script that fetches, analyses and files information from web servers at many times the speed of a human Bots may be implemented to emulate human activity, for example chat bots, are also used as organization and content access applications for media delivery, and still further applications will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
In one example, a human CSR represented by the avatar may be engaging multiple users through multiple avatars, and thus any given interaction with the CSR avatar may be either an automated (bot) or human-attended inter action. Although bot CSR avatar agents may be acceptable to some customers, others may object to interacting with a bot and terminate an engagement when the automated nature of the bot becomes apparent, and in particular if a bot cannot respond adequately to the customer or otherwise evidence the characteristics, attentiveness or perform the functions expected or a human CSR.
Problems also arise in meeting customer service demands in a VU environment For example, avatar customers in a VU store may outnumber available CSR avatars and/or supporting human operators, and delays in giving service or meaningful attention to some users in a crowded store may result in some users leaving the store before they have been engaged, in a commercial or retail context perhaps including the most important or profitable of the present customers and thus resulting directly in loss of profits or business opportunities. Prior art VU management does not offer adequate solutions: computer systems and applications are generally configured to process incoming data or tasks through first-in first-out (FIFO) or round-robin methods and systems, thus selecting and giving immediate focus to a task or customer avatar on a random or time-dependent basis. This risks focusing limited resources on lower priority customers at the expense of other higher-need or higher value customers who may leave the store without appropriate service within a timely manner.